Stampede to Calgary: CUFF Announces 2023 Lineup!

The Calgary Underground Film Festival (CUFF) is turning 20 this year, and to celebrate this milestone, they have announced the most jam-packed program in their history! The festival is set to take place from April 20-30, 2023, at Calgary’s Globe Cinema, featuring 42 feature films and 38 shorts from around the world.

According to CUFF’s Co-Founder, Festival Director & Lead Programmer Brenda Lieberman, “Our 20th Festival is going to be the most fun, vibrant event we’ve ever hosted, and we are counting on our filmmakers, alumni, festival friends, and as many audience members as possible to come to celebrate with us.”

The opening night will feature the Canadian premiere of ONYX THE FORTUITOUS AND THE TALISMAN OF SOULS, a horror-comedy selected for the Sundance 2023, followed by an after-party at The Derrick with a DJ set by CJSW Station Manager Adam Kamis. Other highlights include eight Alberta-made films, a live script reading of NOW, I AM A BEAR, the first-ever “Indie Game Bash,” and the return of CUFF favorites such as THE SATURDAY MORNING ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT-CEREAL CARTOON PARTY!

Furthermore, the festival will feature a retrospective of CUFF alumnus Anders Thomas Jensen, a screening of the documentary COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL, and a documentary about the legendary rock ‘n’ roll icon Little Richard. Additionally, BLACKBERRY, a Canadian narrative feature about the legendary rise and fall of Blackberry/RIM from director Matt Johnson (The Dirties) starring Jay Baruchel, SISU, a highly-anticipated B-movie from CUFF alumni Jalmari Helander, and SQUARING THE CIRCLE (THE STORY OF HIPGNOSIS), a documentary about the art studio, are some of the other exciting films to look forward to.